Ask Twitter: Acoustic Guitar Repairs

I worked on a Kent farm for six weeks as a hop picker to buy my first professional guitar – an Epiphone Texan advertised in melody Maker that cost the huge sum of £78. Unfortunately there was no money left over for a padded case, and in my rush to take it over to Queensway and show it to my mentor Alexis Korner, I slipped and dropped it on the pavement, smashing in the front. Alexis, bless him knew an old Polish guitar maker in Ealing who was able to repair my Texan and made it good as new. Forty years later, my trusty Larivee P-01 parlor guitar is literally falling apart at the seams and will soon need major surgery. So who, I wondered, would my friends on Twitter recommend as today’s repair experts in the UK? Here, in no particular order, are the suggestions that came in….
GRAHAM PARKER LUTHIER in Lewisham, Londonhttp://grahamparkerluthier.com/gpl-guitar-repairs/guitar-repairs-london
suggested by @TijuanaLondon “A top professional and lovely chap.”

HICKIES in Readinghttp://hickies.co.uk@jrhardman: ” they’ve been a shop since 1864 and have two or three dedicated technicians who managed to fix my Ovation when i messed up the fibreglass back – thought i was on Struggle Street. Very inventive people, I never go anywhere else now”

WILL RUSSELL – Ealing, West LondonAlas no trace anywhere online :-(@TotalCurtis: “Hi Tom, can highly recommend Ealing based Luthier Will Russell, you can contact him on…” (number supplied)
VINCE HOCKEY in Southampton
Vince is the Martin Registered repairer for W.Europe, featured in ‘History Of Martin Guitars’ book.
NO WEBSITE but we found email addresses: vincehockey@talktalk.net or possibly vincehockey@onetel.net.uk@louisbarabbas Best guy I know: he’s a magician.

Tom Robinson

London-based broadcaster & songwriter, born 1950. His best known songs are 2-4-6-8 Motorway, Glad To Be Gay and War Baby; he has also co-written songs with Peter Gabriel, Elton John, Dan Hartman and Manu Katché. Read More...

4 Comments

Wow! Thats some response Tom and really good for us all to know/have contacts of.

I still have my Epiphone, first guitar I bought quite a few years old now. I still love it…despite having now acquired 8 other guitars (I know a bit excessive…..and I am aware I DO have a bit of a problem where guitars are concerned…and probably should talk to someone about it!)

Had a full size, no name, classical guitar that my parents bought me when I was 6, having pestered them to buy me one! I gave it to my close friends kids (2 twins) on their 6th birthday :)